This invention is directed to a switch for electrical and electronic devices.
Electrical switches for controlling functions of electronic devices are well known in the art. For example, media or communication devices include switches that are used to activate particular functions of the device (e.g., on/off, play, select or volume switch). To provide control of functions at a location remote from the media or communication device, switches that are incorporated in wires attached to the device have been developed (e.g., switches in wired headsets plugged into an audio device with a jack). For example, a headset can include a wheeled switch for controlling the volume of music provided by a media device (e.g., a portable music player). As another example, a headset can include a plurality of buttons for controlling playback of music (e.g., play, next, last, fast forward and rewind buttons).
A drawback of such switches that have been implemented in headset wires is that they tend to be bulky and have limited control functions. There is a need, therefore, for a switch that can be incorporated in a wire, that features a small and unobtrusive profile, and that can control one or more device functions. There is also a need for the switch to be easy to use without requiring a user to look at the switch.